


Gay Grand Theft Auto

by wh33zy



Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grand Theft Auto Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gangs, Gen, M/M, Multi, Organized Crime, Other, Robbery, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:20:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26688070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wh33zy/pseuds/wh33zy
Summary: As the title and tags suggest:YES all the Romantica main characters are in a gang together.YES they all know each otherYES they do crimes- mainly robbing people, and the size of their scores will keep growingYES there is inner gang dramaYES there will be a rival gang in the future (SIH)and YES I'm just here to have a good time on the internet, don't mind me
Relationships: Kamijou Hiroki/Kusama Nowaki, Miyagi Yoh/Takatsuki Shinobu, Takahashi Misaki/Usami Akihiko
Comments: 11
Kudos: 18





	1. Let's Introduce the Gang

**Author's Note:**

> WOW you're actually going to read this? THANK YOU.

Get in the bank. 

Break the safe. 

Grab the money. 

_Get out._

Really simple, and much easier now that they’ve done it _many_ times before without getting caught. A few close calls? Sure, but success was never out of reach. Of course, a lot of planning goes into the traditional bank job, a lot of loose ends need to be tied up. They’ve learned from _many_ past mistakes to perfect their methods. Outsmarting the law isn’t hard, but not getting caught was a different story. 

The perfect team requires more than just a few. Of course, that means the take for each job is a little less when split six ways, but getting a lot of money and being able to take on bigger scores was the real concern here. 

“Hurry up, Blue!” Hiroki, codename: Devil, his voice bellowing into the vault. He’s a muscle with an attitude problem, the type of guy to go into a fast food restaurant instead of wait in the drive through. He’s also the type to throw shit at you if you make him mad enough, he has and he will continue to do so until he dies. He’s probably got the biggest chip on his shoulder, pride so apparent it’s exhausting. He used to be a teacher to high school students and had no issue administering punishment to kids whose parents failed to do so. All that tough love was effective though, but he quit out of the incompetence of the students and when he almost got evicted since teachers aren’t paid half of what they need to survive anymore. His black motorcycle helmet shields his face from any camera. “We should have left five minutes ago!” But, he’s smart, knows what matters, and most importantly, _knows what he’s doing._

“Heads up!” Nowaki, codename: Blue, exclaims as he tosses a full dufflebag his accomplice’s direction. The smile in this muscle’s voice was obvious. Really, this guy is the type to stop what he’s doing to help anyone out. Why he turned to a life of organized crime, no one really knows. He grew up as an orphan on the roughest side of town and by the time he got kicked out of the orphanage at eighteen, worked up to six jobs at once. Maybe he got tired of it, maybe he was taught that crime was something normal. It’s most likely that ‘a child rejected by the village will burn it down to feel it’s warmth’ was his situation. This is stuff he doesn’t really like to talk about and actively avoids so no one pushes. He’s smiley, rainbows, probably was a golden retriever puppy in his former life, and definitely sensitive so the rest of the gang has absolutely _zero idea_ as to why he’s in love with and is currently dating the Devil. To each their own. 

Oh, why is he a muscle then? Well, that’s because he’s tall, used to work a construction job, and he’s one of the few people on the planet who is completely unintimidated by Hiroki. 

And he likes the chase. 

The brunet catches the bag, giddiness instantly bubbling in his chest as he feels the weight of it. Tonight’s score, although not one of their biggest, would be really _good._ It felt a hundred times better knowing that they were practically walking away with it all. Smaller banks like these in less populated areas in the city were always an easy hit. It was like the money had been waiting for them to just grab it. 

_“One of you tripped a silent alarm.”_ Akihiko, codename: Ghost, warns, his unimpressed voice sliding through their earpieces. _“Police on route. Wonderful.”_

Well, no one said they were perfect. 

Akihiko is the honorary hacker; he’s the brains and some of the brawn of the entire operation. He’s currently at the group’s safehouse, tracking _everyone_ involved tonight which also means he has eyes on every police vehicle headed their way. He’s able to tap into any building, breach any security going undetected, and get information faster than someone Googling a stupid question. He’s called ‘Ghost’ due to his premature grey head of hair and in reference to what made him so rich he could afford two houses and black market technology in the first place: a ghostwriter, who threatened to speak. He grew up rich and following the lifescript his family had for him, until he broke out to find himself. Kind of interesting _where_ he found himself, isn’t it? 

“You’re _kidding me!”_ Hiroki exclaims, shooting glare at his partner. _“Blue-”_

Nowaki puts his gloved hands up in defense, the dark visor of his helmet unable to catch the surprise on his face. “Don’t look at me! I didn’t do it!”

See, now that Hiroki thinks back on it, he might have been _a little_ over confident breaking into the place...but of course he can’t admit _that._ Not _now,_ not when, “I’ve been doing this _way too long_ to make a stupid mistake like that! I know it wasn’t-” 

_“Argue about this later. Just get out.”_

The taller of the two secures the second dufflebag he just finished stuffing onto his back. The faint sound of sirens that was slowly getting louder definitely had them running out the back door that they had come through. They’re met with a fence, one that Hiroki forgot they had climbed over so he curses as he throws his bag over it. Nowaki is already kneeling down to help lift him up and over. Seeing blue and red reflect on the older man’s helmet as he hopped over was enough to make his heart pound with excitement mixed with a dash of anxiety. Nowaki quickly hauls himself over, not bothering to take off the other portion of the score to do it. 

“We’re on our way back now!” Hiroki announces, taking off across a short patch of grass and then the street with two black motorcycles in view, lined up on the curb for the taking. “These bikes are ours, right Professor?” 

_“Of course, Dev. Not that it would matter now.”_ Miyagi, bored getaway driver and vehicle thief, codename: Professor, confirms. This guy has had a knack for anything mechanical mixed with stealing since he was a teen, you know, that time where you’re angry and want to get back at the world. Any piece of machinery that can transport one thing to another, he’s stolen and drove it. He started making money from this when he got caught stealing a car that belonged to someone who’d take stolen cars and sell them. Since he also started driving at the totally legal age of fourteen, and now being in his mid-thirties, is deemed the most reliable in anything concerning a ride. He did see the light of Jesus or some shit at one point, got married, and decided to teach Historical Literature at his local university...then he retired early because it bored him to tears and he needed a new car. The wife divorced him, felt like he was bored with her too and she was right. He’s still a lover to history and to a dangerous, fellow gang member who is almost half his age for the past few years. He is, _“Rookie, you ready? They’ll be passing by with police on their tail any minute now. Help ‘em out, will you?”_

“Who the _hell_ tripped the alarm!? You guys were supposed to be in and out! I’m just supposed to be lookout and escort tonight!” Shinobu, weapons expert and smuggler, codename: Rookie, angrily exclaims. Everything went according to plan, this would have been the most relaxing time he’s had on a heist in his career. Shinobu used to be a snotty rich kid, and although he still has the attitude of one, now he’s a bonafide gang member. For being the youngest in the gang, he surprisingly has a lot of experience with organized crime and everyone’s pretty sure he’s the most dangerous. His parents were way to strict which only made his acting out get worse. He was immediately sent to an academy in Australia for a while, but he quickly got caught up with a gang there. After a botched mission _that wasn’t his fault,_ each member ends up in witness protection or dead while he fled back to Japan. Afterwards, he stole a whole bunch of money from his father and never was a Takatsuki again. His talent and love for weapons, especially firearms, really sealed the deal with him being in the gang as he detailed the many ways he could get his hands on anything they could ever need. Even though he’s terribly harsh around the edges, a single glare from him could make anyone want to piss themselves, but he’s surprisingly nice and a little sensitive. It’s like Hiroki and Nowaki had a difficult, slightly traumatized blond child who was into DILF’s. “I’m ready, _dumbasses!”_ He announces after securing his own black helmet on his head. He then pulls out his pistol with a silencer on it, now watching the streets in front of him from the shadows of the alleyway like a hawk. “You’re lucky I brought a gun or you’d be _screwed!”_ Yeah, getting on his bad side isn’t a good idea. 

_“Aw, I thought you_ loved _playing with the cops!”_ Miyagi whines in faux surprise. 

It is fun, though. 

“Only when _I want_ to!” Is snapped back. 

Oh yeah, Shinobu is the wife’s little brother. Fucked up enough yet?

 _“Good luck, guys!”_ Misaki, spy and intel gatherer who really wants to be a muscle too, codename: Shorty, slides in the earpieces next. _“Be careful! I’m listening to the police scanner as we speak!”_

See, Misaki’s codename was going to be ‘Descendent’ or something referencing his extreme case of babyface, but ‘Shorty’ was less of a mouthful. How short is he? Well, he’s about the national average...for women in the United States which was a _shock._ His brother, Takahiro, was pretty tall and well-built which was full of advantages when he was a muscle in the game. That was until he retired from crime to settle down with a girl he met at some bar. Now, he’s just your average bank employee with taxes, a 401k, and all that bullshit. Misaki wanted to keep the tradition by taking his place in the gang a few years ago...but, like Mr. Blue-skies here, he’s got a heart of gold and has trouble being bad. But he tries! Boy, does he _try,_ so he does what he can. At the moment, he’s a spy, someone unsuspecting that can slip into places, sneak, and eavesdrop for information. He’s also pretty good at chatting all the targets up for intel. His niceness is really what draws them in and snatches their trust. When he isn’t doing this or dragged out on a date (he likes to think of them as dates, that's how big of a crush he has on this guy) with the hacker, he helps watch the monitors and whatnot.

He also bakes the cookies for the gang. Really sealed the deal when he brought them for the interview. 

“Thanks, Shorty!” Nowaki replies back, as if a thoughtful favor was being done. He mounts the black getaway bike, revving it up a few times. 

His tone makes Hiroki roll his eyes and promise with a sigh, “It’s not our first time losing some pigs.” He peels away first with Nowaki following behind him. 

Shinobu has his heel ready to kick the stand holding his bike up at any moment. He grips his gun tightly, watching the streets as cars shoot passed- 

_“Pull over to the side of the road!”_ A cop’s voice echoes through a bullhorn not too far away.

The blond hisses a curse. 

_“Showtime, Rookie.”_ Akihiko warns. _“In three, two-”_

Shinobu watches his two comrades zoom by at full speed, followed by two pairs of blue and red lights so bright he’s nearly blinded. Just a few more seconds for his cue and- _now._ He leg shoots back, the stand coming up with a click, and he’s curling out of the alleyway in pursuit. He keeps himself a good distance behind the cops so he isn’t noticed, at least not right away, and aims at their tires. He holds his breath, finger on the trigger- just four back wheels multiple times. He can do this, he’s done it many times before in even trickier circumstances. 

Hiroki lets out a quiet sigh in relief when he hears the muffled popping start and the cars screech, spinning out behind them as they approach the highway. Now, he and Nowaki have a better chance at losing whatever back-up is being called for by weaving in between the growing forest of cars around them. The older man briefly looks over his shoulder, noticing Shinobu quickly dart past the entryway to take surface streets and backroads back to their HQ.

Inspired, “Blue, let’s split up here.” 

_“I was thinking the same thing.”_ Nowaki agrees, who is somewhere ahead of him. _“I’m taking this exit ramp coming up.”_ Hiroki catches his bike now veering to the right and dips down. _“Love you!”_

 _“Don’t_ say that while we’re _still_ being chased, _idiot!”_ Hiroki growls in outrage. Not to mention, their line of communication could be tapped into! How _embarrassing!_

 _“Aw, he loves you too, Blue.”_ Miyagi teasingly translates.

Nowaki only laughs a, _“I wish!”_

Everyone’s favorite voice comes back with, _“Hey guys? Bad news is that there’s a lot of back up on the way but good news is that they’re having trouble finding you guys!”_ Misaki happily chirps. _“Sounds like they might stop the search soon! Keep it up!”_

 _“Nice!”_ The tallest of them all responds. 

“Don’t know what they think they’ll accomplish now.” Shinobu laments as he flies under a bridge. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re already in the clear.” 

_“You never know. Better to be safe than sorry.”_ Miyagi reminds off a drag. 

His lover scoffs tiredly.”It’s _fine!_ You’re such a-” 

_“Rookie, turn left at the light or you’ll run right into a cop.”_ Akihiko interrupts in a rush. 

Shinobu makes a deeply annoyed growl but follows through, not really intent on slowing down. He prepares for the snooty ‘I told you so’ that Miyagi owed him. When he does happily oblige him with it, the older man could _hear_ the unimpressed eye-roll. It didn’t make saying it any less of a delicious reward. 

_“When are you going to learn that we’ve been doing this longer than you, Rookie?”_ Hiroki sighs at him next. 

Shinobu snorts, “Yeah, like I’m gonna take advice from the mid-life crisis that got us into this mess.”

 _“Woah!”_ Nowaki starts. 

But, the brunet could handle it. _“Well, homewrecker, you should make it less obvious that you could still learn a thing or two.”_

“Wait, uh-!” Misaki exclaims in an attempt to break it up before it could get ugly, adjusting his headset a little. “I’m _just_ getting word that they’re alerting cops all over and around the area about bikers!” He leans back a little in his desk chair, his monitor still chattering away. “Sorry about that!” 

“Professor, get ready.” Akihiko says next to him, eyes glued on his own monitor as he watched the dots marking his comrades start to meet again. “Devil’s arriving first, Blue’s not too far behind.” He reaches for his mug that is now only half full of tea. 

_“Finally!_ My time to shine!” Miyagi grunts as he stretches his arms up as much as the ceiling of the large, black cargo van would allow. “Back doors are already wide open.” 

Hiroki swings around the corner and into the dark underpass, then slows down to crawl right into the vehicle. He already starts getting ready for the drive back; lifting the bag up and over his head to place it on the floor before pulling off his helmet. Nowaki then slides right in next to him, and before making himself comfortable too, closes the doors. He then knocks twice on the ceiling before taking a load off. The two feel much better when the van starts smoothly blending in with Friday night traffic like nothing happened. 

“Fuckin’ A!” Miyagi cheers as they head back to homebase at a snail’s pace compared to the bikes. 

“I’ll say!” Nowaki agrees, pulling off his helmet. “It’s almost too easy now!” 

Hiroki proudly follows suit with, “Or maybe we’re _just that good.”_

 _“Rookie, be careful, they’re still looking for bikers. But other than that, the search is off! Great work, everybody!”_ Misaki eagerly congratulates. 

After a chorus of rejoicing, Akihiko says with a pleased tone in his voice, _“You mind getting out the alcohol?”_

 _“I could use a drink.”_ Shinobu agrees. 

“No problem!” Misaki says before lifting the mic and pulling off the headphones.

As he sets off to the small kitchen to get the goods with some glasses, the sleeve of his baggy, green hoodie is tugged. That’s explained with a hushed, “Could you also get the frosted animal crackers, please?” 

Hiroki leans back against the wall of the van as he listens to that. “And you’re _sure_ his codename shouldn’t be ‘housewife’ or ‘the maid’?” 

Shinobu answers him before Akihiko could, _“Okay, we get it. Doing nice things for people is a foreign concept to you. Poor Blue…”_

“Ouch!” Miyagi hisses, wincing as if those words were shot at him instead of his friend.

If Hiroki had the power to reach through his earpiece to choke a motherfucker, half of the gang would be dead. “Where the fuck do you get off-” 

_“What_ goes on in our relationship is _none_ of your business.” Nowaki snaps, even though his comrade is kinda right… 

_“Just callin’ it like I see it.”_

“What the hell is your problem with me!?” Hiroki starts again. 

_“Oh, here we go…”_ Is just mumbled back, bored as ever. 

Exasperated, “No, seriously, _what is your issue!?”_

“Would you two give it a rest!?” Miyagi scolds, the large safehouse not too far now. “We just made off with _a lot_ of money! We should be celebrating, not at each other’s throats! You can save the drama for later. Can you do that?” 

Hiroki harrumphs, “I’m always the bigger person anyway.” 

After a few moments of silence, “Rookie, I didn’t hear an answer from you.” 

_“No promises.”_ His nonchalant vocal fry says. _“I made it back, by the way.”_

And because that’s the best Miyagi’s ever going to get, “I’ll take it.”


	2. The Gang is Dysfunctional

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW long time, no read! Sorry about that folks!

It was weird to call it a safehouse. 

When you think of a safehouse for criminals who just robbed a bank with a hilarious back and forth the whole time, what comes to mind is a small, unsuspecting little hole in the wall. What you  _ don’t  _ think of is a large, expensive house in a quiet neighborhood just outside the city. It’s a place a typical downtown Tokyo princess who claims to love nature but could only really handle trees, tall grasses, and the occasional rock to live. Maybe that’s what made it a good place to lay low; no one would expect a gang to meet there. 

Miyagi pulls the cargo van up the side of the driveway, then crawls it behind the house. Hiroki and Nowaki were silent the whole way, which would have been fine if it didn’t feel so... _ off.  _ The quiet was worrisome, as it felt tense and angry almost. Usually, when Miyagi would glance at them to confirm that he wasn’t feeling it for nothing, Nowaki would look remorseful somehow and Hiroki would be obviously more pissed off than usual, the look in his eyes saying that they’d have a nice chat later. But, Nowaki didn’t look sorry  _ at all  _ this time _ ,  _ and the way he would glare right back at his lover definitely made it seem like he was hoping they’d fight. 

Well... _ this is bad.  _

But- 

Upon entering the house from the back door, they’re met with a cheerful welcome from Misaki who ushers them over for drinks in the livingroom. The dufflebags are unenthusiastically dropped on the floor by the two runners which dampens the mood a little bit. Even Shinobu looked at them both weirdly, somewhat knowing that he was the cause. But, he thinks nothing of it as he goes for the wads of cash, because whatever’s about to happen is none of his damn business. Miyagi just sits next to him on the couch and pours himself a glass of shochu from the coffee table. 

“Nowaki, can I talk to you?” Hiroki says, not interrupting something congratulatory that Akihiko was going to say. “Upstairs, in the study.  _ Now.”  _

“Can’t you guys do that  _ later?”  _ His best friend starts to complain since it’d be terrible to waste such a good day (and the little party they’re having). 

The couple just ignore him. Nowaki silently follows Hiroki upstairs, irritated and a little embarrassed. The study is tiny and unorganized, probably meant to be a closet of sorts; binders and books filled two large shelves and were spilled onto the wood floor. The shades of the one window were drawn tight, the air stale and soon to be heavier, as if no one has been in this room for a while. Nowaki takes the liberty of shutting the door behind them and switching on the lights. 

“I don’t know what’s been going on with you lately. Suddenly, you’re pushing me back and arguing with me over every little thing. And now, whenever that asshole has something smart to say, you act like you could care less. Have you grown a pair or not!?” Hiroki hisses, not wanted to raise his voice because he knows that they’re listening. 

“Was he wrong?” Is all Nowaki spits back at him. 

Hiroki recoils slightly.  _ “Excuse _ me?” Defy the Devil, will you!?

“You heard me.” The longer they spoke, the more upset the younger man seemed to get. “He wasn’t wrong. He’s calling it like he sees it.” 

That response was taken like a slap to the face. “Oh,  _ fuck off  _ with that-” 

“Look, I don’t know if you actually love me.” Nowaki admits, now less charged and more sullen. “I don’t know if you’re using me to get over Usami or-” 

_ None  _ of that made  _ any  _ sense to him and it showed. “What  _ the hell _ are you talking about!? If I wasn’t over him, I wouldn’t have gotten together with you in the first place!” Yeah! Even though a tiny part of him still feels like it belongs to Akihiko, he totally doesn’t even  _ think  _ about that asshole! 

“Why did you get together with me in the first place?” This makes Hiroki dial back a touch as he watches the glare on Nowaki’s face morph into  _ hurt.  _ “Huh? What was it? Was it my face?” 

“What?  _ No-”  _ He wasn’t shallow like that!

“Was it the sex?” 

“A-Are you  _ kidding!?”  _ He’s aware that they frickafracked before their first date but  _ come on!  _

“Then what?” At this point, he was  _ desperate  _ for an answer, “Why are you with me?” 

Maybe they had gotten together way too fast, way before they ever got to know each other  _ well enough _ . At the time, Nowaki was fresh off the streets, the old “Rookie” as the gang only consisted of Akihiko, Hiroki, Miyagi, and Takahiro (who was on and off at this point). The weird thing was that ever since they accidentally both robbed the same gas station- which was really stupid because they both bumped into each other like some criminal meet-cute shit -there was always this sexual tension between them. It was painfully,  _ cringefully  _ obvious that when they looked at each other, they could look all damn day. 

So of course when Hiroki offered to mentor Nowaki, show him the ropes of the gang and different techniques to use on jobs as an excuse to spend time with him, Nowaki wholeheartedly agreed, since he needed an excuse too. He was a good student, if Hiroki said so himself (and he had enough kids that were shoved in his classroom to parent to know that). What really motivated Nowaki to just absorb everything like a sponge was when, on jobs, he would use whatever Hiroki taught him like how to not trip different kinds of alarms to get that  _ sweet sweet praise.  _

It was during a lesson that the distance between them ceased to exist anymore. 

The trigger for it was Nowaki being oddly perceptive, seemingly at all the wrong moments. They grew closer and closer with each bit of criminal mentoring Hiroki bestowed him with. By this lesson, they had gotten to know each other quite a bit. Nowaki had learned about Hiroki’s entire dramatic backstory, Hiroki had known a good bit about Nowaki’s. Nowaki knows that Hiroki is a bookworm who is easy to piss off or make blush  _ and  _ how to do both at the same time. Hiroki learned that Nowaki was very much into science, weak to dogs (because they’re so cute!), and a shameless flirt. What a match these two are, eh? 

They were sitting at the desk, upstairs in the sittingroom that was mainly used for planning their next scores. Akihiko had put together universal lock picking kits and needed them tested out _pronto_ since they were hitting a bank soon. There were a few practice locks they had when all they used were screwdrivers, bobbypins, needles, and hopeful thinking. What a _great_ way to make sure, one on one with the rookie, that he can pick a lock! 

“You always want to make sure that-” 

“Do you like me?” 

It was forward and super sure, as if Nowaki already knew the answer. 

Which was  _ yes.  _ Yes, Hiroki did. He felt like he was in school again with a stupid little crush he couldn’t shake. He was moments away from getting some really frilly paper with a colorful envelope to match for someone to hand to Nowaki, have them both meet behind some building, and lay his heart out while the wind blew cherry blossoms around them. 

But, “That’s  _ not  _ a part of the lesson.” Hiroki responds sharply, refusing to look him in the eye. His cheeks flared, but he figured if he kept going as if they weren’t, his partner wouldn’t notice either. 

But Nowaki only interrupts him again, leaning a little closer to him. “Do you want to sleep with me?” Boy could he  _ tell.  _

_ Yes! Yes! Ye-  _

“Absolutely  _ not!”  _ Hiroki gasps in offense, getting up from his seat and going to the door. “How  _ dare  _ you ask me such things!? Maybe instead of thinking with your dick, you pay attention to the valuable information I’m giving you! You’re not even my type, what makes you think I’d want  _ you!?” _ Why can’t he just be honest!? He didn’t mean  _ any  _ of this! He’s fantasized about a night with him before!

Hiroki doesn’t leave, even though he’s facing the door like he’s going to. He slams his fist against it, and stays there for a moment because he can’t even bring himself to turn the knob. He then sharply turns around and crosses back over, not even taking the time to register that Nowaki knew he didn’t mean anything he said. He yanks his empty chair out of the way and-

In one swift motion, he’s on the younger man’s lap, impatient hands grabbing either side of his pale face, and their lips are connected in a brief but hard kiss.

“Hiro-” 

“Shut up. _”_ Hiroki hisses breathlessly, hushed and with a tinge of anger. He shrugs off the cardigan he was wearing, body suddenly _hot._ His finger then goes for gripping the front of Nowaki’s shirt. “I do want you. I’ve completely fallen in love with you and the only thing I need to know is what you intend to do about it.” 

For a minute, Nowaki looked more shy than anything else,  _ bashfully  _ shy as if he was just so  _ flattered _ . “I love you too.” Is all he responds with, blue eyes staring at him so...so  _ happy  _ and no one has ever looked at Hiroki like that. It threw him for a real loop because the last time he made anyone happy was when he told his mother about landing his teaching job. 

The rest is history. Hiroki cried a little, they made out some more, his back met the table- lockpicks  _ be damned.  _ Akihiko at one point came to the study to ask them how everything was going, heard  _ raunchy  _ moaning, and then immediately turned around with a noise of disgust. Then they were  _ in love,  _ the honeymoon stage seemed to last forever. Sure, there were some hiccups, every relationship had them. But they kept getting bigger, especially with where Akihiko was in all of this because Nowaki could say that their relationship was really fucking  _ strange  _ and unfair. It wasn’t the fact that they were close but Hiroki treated Akihiko softer, looked at him longer, and still, to this day, Akihiko is the only one allowed to call him by his full first name. 

While Hiroki thought everything was great, that the worries about moving too fast were gone...he hadn’t noticed Nowaki not on the same page. 

And now he does! Ain’t that something!? Here, in the study, he had never felt more backed into a corner than ever before. All he can produce are stuttering sounds, not sure how to start the answer and still so blindsided by all of this. Pathetic. Nowaki has never directed this much upset at him, hell, he can’t remember a time he was angry  _ at  _ him in the  _ years  _ they have known each other. But of course, Nowaki doesn’t take his trouble for coming up with an answer that way. 

“I just-” He stops and looks away, taking a breath in because he’d be damned if he let someone so full of pride see him cry. “I just wish someone was as crazy about me as I am about you but-” He’s not Akihiko. Not by a longshot, not that he wanted to be depressed and staring at screens most of the day. His pained gaze returns to his lover. “For the first time in my life, I just want to feel wanted.” 

“Nowaki! Kamijou!” Shinobu’s voice calls from downstairs. “Are you gonna party with us or not?” They pulled out the good wine! But Misaki, being Misaki made everyone wait to toast until the two other members of their gang came down which is  _ ultimate bullshit.  _

Nowaki just shakes his head; this conversation was over and maybe they were too. “I need space from you right now.” He decides with a heavy sigh. “I need time to think about all of this.”

_ Wow,  _ yet another fucking  _ punch to the gut!  _ “But- wait, no-” He stutters again, watching him leave. “We need to talk or nothing will get-”

“I’m going for a drive.” Is all he says, but he adds for those who worried, “I’ll be home after.” 

This wasn’t their first fight, Hiroki realizes. They had countless fights lately, some of them over things he doesn’t even remember, others resolved with really  _ really _ angry sex. At first, it was thought it was because of how  _ different  _ they were, that there were times they couldn’t help but clash. Nowaki was four years his junior but...could he really keep using that as a cop-out? But he thought, at least, that was just a bump in the relationship ride. He guessed it was more than that now. Really? You fucking  _ guess!?  _

When Nowaki comes downstairs, there’s a symphony of warm greetings. They were all gathered on the pink sectionals around a white coffee table littered with drinks and Shinobu’s propped up feet. Shinobu sat in the middle of Misaki and Miyagi with Akihiko in the pink armchair in the open space the couches left. Nowaki can barely manage to crack a smile at them, hoping the gang would  _ get it  _ just by him swinging his keys into his hand on its own. But, Misaki’s already getting up to hand him his glass- 

“No thanks. I can’t party, not tonight. Sorry, guys.” 

The next chorus were disappointed sounds. Nowaki was  _ always  _ fun when it came to partying. Not ‘I’m drunk and dancing on this table half naked’ fun but ‘I’m really funny and reminiscent’ fun. He had also been skipping out on the parties lately, and it was even more embarrassing that the gang knew it was because of his fights with Hiroki as of late. 

Nowaki continues to the garage where his personal bike was, promising, “Next time! I swear!” 

“See ya, Blue!” Shinobu shouts, “Thanks for the hard work today!” Which is nice enough to garner a wave back. 

The blond starts to bring his drink to his lips until he feels Miyagi’s eyes glaring at him, so he glares right back.  _ “What?”  _

“You can  _ at least  _ apologize to  _ him,  _ right?” The veteran criminal asks. “They probably would have joined us if you just kept your mouth  _ shut-”  _

Really? He’s gonna blame  _ the  _ Comeback King for this?  _ Really?  _ “Please,” Shinobu starts. “They would have fought whether I said something or not and we all know that. ‘Sides, he put me in my place, right? We’re even already.” 

At this point, Misaki isn’t able to stand it much more and gets up which earns him a, “And where are  _ you  _ going?” 

“Just to check!” Misaki throws over his shoulder. “Usagi, maybe you should see if Kamijou’s coming down?” 

Akihiko pulls out his phone, opening his text app- 

By now, Misaki has learned to add, _ “In person?”  _

Akihiko rolls his eyes, getting up as if it was  _ such a chore.  _ What a true friend, right?  _ Totally.  _

By the time Misaki came down the porch and out of the driveway, Nowaki was about to drive away on an electric blue bike with matching helmet. He had actually  _ bought  _ this bike after his first big score with gang and it was his baby to always be upgraded ever since. He was about to rev his engine and pull away but- 

“Wait, wait! Nowaki!” Misaki’s voice halts him. 

His longtime friend didn’t bother removing his helmet since he knew his face was red and damp with tears. “I forget something?” 

“No,” Misaki answers a bit breathlessly. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

He had to,  _ especially  _ right now. Every time the gang completes a job, they all have to separate for a while and lay low. This could mean weeks without seeing each other face to face, since it always takes some time for the law to get nice and comfy again. So, Misaki had this chance now to help wherever he could, not only because they were the best of friends but losing Nowaki or Hiroki would be  _ devastating  _ as a whole. Just trying to get anyone new could be a nightmare, let alone someone as skilled as they were. 

From the window, Shinobu sees Nowaki straighten himself up so he can sit more comfortably while reassuring Misaki that everything would be okay. In truth, he felt _ a little  _ bad; he contributed more to the problem than the solution. Still,  _ something  _ ought to happen between those two anyway, he thought.  _ And  _ he also agreed with Nowaki here: it’s about time they started heading out too. 

See, he’s not a  _ complete  _ asshole. 

The weapons expert leans off the window to ask, “Hey, old man, wanna take a shot and then get going?” He’d rather not end up waiting around until sun up again. 

Miyagi was already bringing two shot glasses from the kitchen. “Already way ahead of you.” They’ve done this before since they were usually the ones that kept their shit together, which is so  _ out of character.  _ It was almost like they were too chaotic not to be functional. Maybe their individual chaoticness cancels each other out or something. 

Shinobu crosses back into the middle of the livingroom, accepting his shot glass. One, two, three,  _ kanpai,  _ and down the hatch. They both sigh, the glasses stacked and left on the coffee table. It was only after Shinobu swatted Miyagi on the ass with a ‘you’re driving this time’, that Misaki came back inside. He didn’t try to stop them, but he did wish them well as they headed out. 

He could only hope that whatever Akihiko and Hiroki were talking about upstairs wasn’t going to make the situation even worse than it already is. Surprisingly, it wasn’t. Akihiko’s insensitive bluntness didn’t cause the place to burn down. Hiroki didn’t take over their interaction with snippy complaints about Nowaki, about how he was too  _ emotional  _ and  _ clingy  _ and an  _ airhead.  _

Hiroki only sat at the desk in the study, arms folded on it with his face buried in them and completely silent. He barely moved when he heard his best friend come into the room, only releasing a muffled, “It’s over.” 

“He dumped you?” Akihiko asks, a bit of surprise in his voice because he never thought Nowaki would have the heart or the gall. 

The ex-teacher lifts his head in favor of leaning it against his palm. “No, he said he needed space, some time to  _ think _ . But I know he’s tired of me. It’ll be any day now.” He decides, tears quickly sliding down his cheeks. “I always knew it would end this way…” 

“I’m not going to be delicate.” Akihiko starts. 

“When were you ever?” Welcome to: the first time Hiroki’s actually agreeable! 

Ignoring that, “You need to get over yourself. If you want to keep him in your life, you need to talk to him about how you feel. You need to be,  _ at least,  _ almost as nice to him as he is with you on a regular basis. He loves you, he does, and if he leaves you for someone who will properly reciprocate his feelings, that’ll only be on you.” And then he’ll have to figure out how the gang will function if Nowaki leaves, which is  _ such a pain in the ass, you have no idea.  _

“Oh, like Misaki?” Hiroki mumbles bitterly. He never really liked how chummy he and Nowaki were. He got it at first since it seemed like they had a lot in common that allowed them to click so well. But dancing in the kitchen together or falling asleep on each other on the couch downstairs he found to be a bit  _ obnoxious. _

Although the hacker  _ did not like the thought of that,  _ “Misaki would be able to put himself in Nowaki’s shoes.” Akihiko huffs. “You need to do the same.” And with that, the door is shut. 


	3. The Gang Has Feelings

It was almost a month before the gang met up again, since whoever was in charge of the investigation  _ really  _ wanted to take their time. Not that it was a bad thing,  _ no.  _ Akihiko divvied up the take from the bank job and trickle deposited the amounts over a few days in order not to raise any eyebrows. This left Miyagi and Shinobu with a good amount of money as well as quality time that they thoroughly enjoyed. They went away to Osaka, stayed at a hotel and spa, and slept on the beach. Shinobu’s nose freckled while Miyagi’s burned pink (even with sunscreen). Still, a good time nonetheless. 

It was what made them sigh upon seeing the safehouse again when Miyagi pulled up a sportscar from his collection. Back to the old grind if they want to keep the lavishness without a real job going. Not only that, but upon seeing the lights on and Nowaki’s blue bike outside the garage, the two gave each other a look. Either time together made Nowaki and Hiroki figure their shit out or... _ worse.  _ They’d only be able to know if they went inside.

“Hey, Miyagi,” Shinobu says, right after undoing his seatbelt once the car is parked. The softer, more serious tone of his voice making the older man give his full attention. “Maybe this is awful to say but…” 

“But what?” This is honestly quite surprising; Shinobu _loves_ having awful things to say. It’s a part of his schtick _and_ something that Miyagi is _still_ trying to figure out why he finds it attractive. 

Grey eyes glance at the blue bike. “I’m  _ so  _ glad we’re not like that.” 

It’s funny because they  _ used  _ to be. 

Sort of. 

Definitely not half as bad as the muscles of the gang, and what made it less complicated was the fact that there wasn’t any romance involved. The first time they ever saw each other was at Shinobu’s sister’s wedding when Miyagi had married her, grinning spectacularly as though he wasn’t capable of doing anything remotely evil. Shinobu, although angry that his folks sent him away to Australia because of being ‘rebellious’, he had never wanted to board a plane as much as he did at the wedding. It was an evening of fakery; sure he was happy for his sister, but the fact that his family was acting like they didn’t give up on him, as though they were a tight-knit unit, made him ill. 

Before he could leave the reception way earlier than he was supposed to, Miyagi had grabbed his shoulder, talking about want to introduce...himself… Then he apologized for bothering him because Shinobu glared at him as though he’d eat him for breakfast if he didn’t  _ let go right now.  _ It didn’t matter to Shinobu whether or not he got to know his brother in-law, with the way his life was, he was sure they would never be close. And if this guy tolerates his older sister whose very breaths are the most annoying things in the world, then he’s too whacked anyway. 

That’s how it was,  _ until the incident.  _ The gang Shinobu ran with in Australia botched a bank job. He’s still not sure whose fault it was, but one of the members in charge of planting explosives to blow the doors open accomplished that mission  _ way too well.  _ Innocent people, along with the lot of them, were dead. The police were on the scene, at one point Shinobu heard bullets but he was too busy crawling out of the fray. He was alive, he couldn’t believe it (and was admittedly a little disappointed), and left with a few scrapes. He walked back to his school campus, snuck into his dorm, and methodically cleaned up as though nothing happened. Maybe it was some fear, but before he collapsed in his bed, he had called up his father- he needed to go home. 

With the divorce wreaking devastation in the Takatsuki household, Shinobu was more the welcome back. Risako, even though she cheated with some persistent coworker, had taken back her childhood room to cry for a while and to be away from Miyagi while he settled on moving out. Miyagi was classy enough to only hint that his wife cheated on him but to also add that it was ultimately a mutual decision. They really  _ weren’t  _ compatible; the same with himself and his teaching job. So, Shinobu coming back, participating in family time, and being docile was needed. 

However, when Akihiko started scouting for new gang members to fill the holes that Takahiro and, more recently, Sumi who left a month later, the both of them had signed themselves up. Their ‘hey...I remember you!’ moment didn’t happen at the meeting place,  _ no,  _ they narrowly missed each other. It happened when they were finally put to work on a job. 

Shinobu, with a bag full of pawn shop jewelry, and gun in hand was told to hop on the getaway bike so they could lead the cops at a certain rendezvous point. He ran, hopped on the back of Miyagi’s bike with a, _ “Go go go!  _ Fucking  _ drive!”  _ Over the sirens.

“What, you thought I’d like to stick around!?” Miyagi yells back, weaving them through traffic. 

That voice...Shinobu would be damned if it didn’t sound familiar. It was only when they dropped off the take that the helmets finally came off at the safehouse. They had sat opposite from each other in the meeting room upstairs, pulled off their helmets and...stared at each other in disbelief. What a fucking coincidence! And a mighty disappointing one for Miyagi since he had finally cleansed himself of the Takatsuki’s, only to be paired up with the one who  _ hated  _ him for no reason. 

They bickered,  _ boy did they bicker,  _ jabs here, disagreement there, nobody backed down. Still, it didn’t affect their jobs nor the partying. They also couldn’t deny that they worked well together, no matter what words they flung at each other. Feelings didn’t blossom until their umpteenth party with the gang a few years ago. Shinobu, although present, kept to himself mostly until Miyagi made the decision to sit next to him on the couch. Maybe it was the alcohol or the dimness in the room, but their conversation wasn’t hostile. 

Miyagi had gotten a little sentimental with him, told him that he admired him as a person and his talent for this kind of thing. For the first time in Shinobu’s like, he experienced true acceptance from someone, especially from someone he admired as well. That’s when they realized they had  _ a lot  _ in common; both starting out in the crime game young, getting caught up in shit, the thrill of the chase, how weirdly boring they found everyday life- then they were black out drunk. The next morning, Shinobu had awakened on top of Miyagi on the couch, and even though he didn’t remember what happened after their conversation, the happiness from being Miyagi’s friend was enough to quell his worry. 

Miyagi, a bit better at holding his alcohol, knew that they had kissed. But he was too embarrassed and ashamed to tell. It made him realize things. Gay things. He wasn’t  _ gay!  _ He married a woman and was a huge fan of boobs so…so he looked this up and found that it’s a thing to like both. That it was cool, and totally valid. Which is  _ news,  _ incredible  _ news,  _ but it didn’t explain  _ why  _ he was so attracted to Shinobu suddenly. 

This opened a circle of Hell where they both were softer towards each other, eventually to the point it was bordering on romantic  _ but they wouldn’t cross that border at all!  _ And  _ neither of them were allowed to be with someone else!  _ It was much more comfortable to dance around budding attraction and all these gross, mushy feelings. They knew each other too well and were the first to team up when it came time to pick partners for certain jobs. They were the best of friends, still didn’t change the bickering, but there  _ was  _ an obvious love between them. 

Shinobu, ever so impatient, got tired of this one night. He had gone to Miyagi’s place to hand him some things he left at the safehouse before they were supposed to split for a while. Miyagi had offered him tea and his literal partner in crime accepted- the mutual motive being to stay around each other just a little longer. Shinobu didn’t take a seat at the kitchen table like he was supposed to because he dug right in. 

“Miyagi,” He starts, confident as ever on the outside but fearful of rejection on the inside. “What do we feel for each other?” 

“Resentment, really liveable hatred,” Miyagi answers easily as he places the kettle on the stove and turning it on. “A little bit of loving contemptment, why?” 

It’s a joke, Shinobu knows, and just a little true. 

Still Miyagi finds himself cornered, the younger man  _ too  _ close to him even with his lower back digging into the counter. Shinobu’s gaze was piercing and suggestive, the way his lips curled into just a bit of a smirk as though he thought it was cute how flushed Miyagi’s face was getting. But more than anything, Shinobu looked absolutely determined to figure  _ something  _ out, and it was going to be at the old man’s expense. 

“You’ve fallen for me.” Shinobu decides, still so impossibly close that Miyagi could feel his breath on his skin, still trying to lean back as much as he was allowed. “Don’t you think it’s destiny? Or are you seeing someone else?” 

“U-Um…” What’s gotten into this kid!? “No, I’m not. I haven’t fallen for anybody.” Miyagi could only wish he could move back more but the counter would make him sit on it before it gave. “Don’t we kinda hate each other? At this point, isn’t it just tolerance?” 

“Really?” Shinobu inquires, as if that was news, but neither his tone or the distance between them changes. In fact, that comment only makes him that much closer. “You hate me?” Slides so smooth into Miyagi’s ear, that edge to his voice is  _ doing things.  _

Goosebumps crawl all over the older man’s skin, making him gulp. “With a passion.” Already, his vain attempts at keeping a professional tone are gone; the only thing left was a much huskier sounding answer. 

“Prove it.” Shinobu demands through his lashes. His lips just a hair away from touching his ear. “Push me away. Look me in the eyes and  _ say it. _ Tell me all the things about me that  _ make. Your. Skin. Crawl.”  _ His vocal fry rolls, and he’s  _ confident  _ that the hairs on the back of Miyagi’s neck are sticking straight up. “Put your hands on me. I’m well aware that you want to.” He knows the stares of longing Miyagi would give him because he gave them right back. 

Miyagi, still as frozen as a statue, can only breathe shallowly and begin to sweat. His mouth was never more dry. He couldn’t think of not one goddamn thing he hated about him in this moment. Although his mind was awash with a sea of _nothing,_ not even the thoughts about how wrong it would be, his body was so _unbearably_ hot for him. He wanted him, but _no he didn’t_ because of their age gap, but yes he did because who cares at this point!? They’re both adults, they’re both criminals, he’s _divorced,_ Shinobu has nothing to do with the Takastuki family anymore _-_ But _no,_ that’s exactly _why,_ they’re criminals and this is his ex-wife’s _brother-_

“Hmph. Coward.” Shinobu decides when nothing happens, pulling away when his lips are just  _ ghosting  _ his jaw and neck. He turns and walks away to the door, swinging his keys onto his finger and into his palm, acting as though he didn’t just make someone’s pants tight in the middle of tea time for  _ no reason.  _ “Not that I’m surprised…See you at HQ.” Really, he was leaving before his heartbreak got the better of him. He must have really misread things, he’s so embarrassed he’s sure he could never talk to him again. 

And although Miyagi can finally breathe again, everything in him is so  _ damn disappointed.  _ He wished he wasn’t so stunned and conflicted. He wished he had just... _ put his hands on him! Kissed him! Something! _

Shinobu didn’t mince words, he just got up and  _ did.  _ A man of action and so Miyagi would try to mirror that. 

Especially now. 

“Shinobu!” He bellows angrily.

But he doesn’t scare easy, “What?” He asks, still not turning around from pulling on his leather jacket. 

“That’s exactly one of the things I can’t fucking stand.” Miyagi bites, beginning to close the distance between them. “When are you not fucking snarky? Everything you say has to come off insulting.” 

Shinobu wasn’t taken aback by that _at all_ with the look he gives him over his shoulder. “Go on.” He urges, turning around to face the music he wrote. 

Miyagi only keeps coming closer. “Oh, trust me, I will. It’s not just your mean streak that I fucking hate, it’s also the arrogant attitude. You’re so cocky, it’s  _ annoying.  _ You’re a try-hard, not as badass as you think you are. You probably think you should be leading the fucking gang, right? You think you’re hot shit just because you have a gun and cuss like a sailor?”

Shinobu’s back hits the door, he hadn’t realized that he had been stepping back every time Miyagi came closer. His eyes were wide in surprise and a little hurt. This was the rejection he had  _ nightmares  _ about, that just like his parents, he’d turn around and list all the reasons he was terrible. A twisted part of him wanted to see how far Miyagi could go because he never lets loose like this, but a bigger part of him wanted to leave  _ now.  _ The gang wouldn’t miss him anyway, he’s sure. 

“But you’re so  _ talented  _ and  _ brave.” _ Miyagi says, tone softening up. This makes Shinobu realize he had his eyes squeezed shut when he opens them. “You get to be cocky, you have the skills to back it up. Some of the things you’ve said, although harsh, have made me laugh so hard I cried or it was just the plain truth that everyone needed to hear. And while you come across mean, I know it’s because you really care about everything that’s going on.” His glare has long left his face, now replaced with the same emotional look that Shinobu was wearing. “And I’ve…” He sighs heavily, gripping his shoulders. “I’ve fallen for you.” He admits. 

Before Shinobu could cry about it, he threw his arms around Miyagi’s neck for a much needed embrace. Miyagi’s arms wrap around him just as tight, if not tighter, taking him in for a while before going for the kiss he had been craving. It’s long, languid, but soon more kisses followed and hands started to roam, clothes being tugged at- 

“Miyagi…!” Shinobu gasps. “Don’t I have t-to go? To lay low for a while?” He didn’t mean any of this because who really gave a fuck if they were the only two together; it was just to see if Miyagi was  _ sure.  _ If this wasn’t all just some big prank. 

“After what you pulled back there?” Miyagi is sure this kid wasn’t  _ that  _ twisted. “It’s cute that you think this is going to end with you going home and being away from me. Very cute.” Shinobu wasn’t sure where this confidence and authority was coming from, what he  _ was  _ sure about was that he wanted Miyagi  _ to never stop.  _ When the kettle screeches, “You know where the bedroom is.”

It was Shinobu’s turn to blush fiercely and gooseprickle. “Yes, sir.” He mumbles, turning to go down the hall and shrugging off his jacket when he does so. 

Not much had changed between after that- well, maybe their morning routines became different with the new apartment and all. But there was still the snarky back and forth between them, the name-calling they didn’t mean, the bickering became less common. Now, they just did it all holding hands, cuddling, and with a lot of love behind it. There was also just more conversation between them, soft spoken words, sweet nothings. They were mushy with each other and loved it. 

So, now, Miyagi can’t help but agree. He’s glad that they talk, that they can talk about  _ anything,  _ that they never went to bed angry. While he does feel bad for Hiroki and Nowaki, he can’t help but feel so lucky and say, “So am I. I’m glad we’re not like that too.” 

“And we’ll  _ never  _ be like that.” Shinobu says, a hint of a determined smile on his face. 

Miyagi whole-heartedly agreed, “Never.” 

Entering the safehouse, everyone got out their ‘long time, no see’s, with a bit of unintentional extra attention paid to Hiroki and Nowaki. The air around them was different,  _ tense.  _ It seemed as though whatever they fought about hadn’t been resolved. Hiroki had decided to head upstairs to let Akihiko know that everyone was here which gave Misaki the chance to softly ask Nowaki how he was doing. 

“I’m okay...for the most part. We separated for a while. I think the distance did some good but I’m not sure.” Things between them were touch and go. The most communication they’ve had was about sleeping and living arrangements. 

Hiroki had slept on the couch before deciding to take the guest bedroom in the safehouse after a few uncomfortable nights. The silence and no work only served to make him friendlier with his thoughts and memories alike. Most of them were about Nowaki, the hurt in his eyes, the muffled sobs through the walls of their home, the monotonous ‘that’ll be better’ when Hiroki said he’d stay somewhere else. Some of them were angry at Akihiko, hating him for making him love him like he did which wasn’t fair, and he knew it wasn’t fair. The last thousands of them were anger at himself, at why he can’t just be better, how he always knew he wasn’t deserving of Nowaki. Not when he’s so sweet and Hiroki is so bitter. 

Hiroki’s general bitterness morphed into nauseating guilt when he had listened to what Akihiko said. He took off his own shoes and put on Nowaki’s, thinking back to how whatever problem they had or conversation could have come off to him. So cold and unfeeling to someone so warm, so rough to someone so soft, so agitated to someone so patient, so secretive to someone so open. Being the cause of pain, being the cause of this kind of misery...it was a feeling that made him curl in on himself and cry. 

He could only hope that it wasn’t too late. That he could fix it, that he could rekindle, that he’d never have to feel this alone again.

For three weeks, it was  _ this  _ and only this over and over.

If it is too late, that Nowaki would still be patient enough with him to let him apologize.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! Chapters will be posted as frequently as I can with classes and such. 
> 
> And, always remember: Be gay, do crimes.


End file.
